Jack plug connector



Dec. 24, 1968 J. N. BARRETT I 3,413,433

JACK PLUG CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 13, 1967 7,2 71 I NVENTOR. 065E A/EV/A' B1RRETT 111s Moe/v2):

United States Patent 3,418,438 JACK PLUG CONNECTOR Joseph Nevin Barrett, 5146 Hutchinson, Chicago, Ill. 60641 Filed Feb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 615,576 7 Claims. (Cl. 20051.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A jack plug connector having a plurality of terminals in spaced parallel relation to each other and on opposite sides of .a center axially extending plug-receiving chamber with certain of the terminals including yieldable spring contact members engageable by portions of the plug for movement into and out of circuit registration between the other of the terminals.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention provides for a jack plug connector which includes a greater plurality of circuit terminals than capable of being included in comparable structures disclosed by prior patents. The jack plug connector comprises a hollow housing of insulating material open at one end and with the opposite end having a center opening formed therein through which a plug is removably projected. A plurality of circuit terminals extend in spaced parallel relation to each other and to opposite side walls of said housing and to either side of the center axis of the opening formed in one end of the housing with certain of these terminals providing yielda'ble spring contact members movable by certain portions of the plug when the same is projected into the housing out of and into contact and circuit registration with certain of the remaining terminals to make the break electrical circuits therethrough. All of which is to be found in Classification 339 Electrical Connectors.

The invention will be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary detailed view of the jack plug connector with certain of said terminals removed;

FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view showing the jack plug connector;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view showing the jack plug connector with a plug inserted therein and in contact with certain spring contact members of certain of said terminals;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the jack plug connector;

FIG. 5 is a plane view of one of the terminals utilized in the jack plug connector;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of another terminal used in the jack plug connector; and

FIG. 7 is still another form of terminal as used in the jack plug connector.

The jack plug connector includes a hollow housing 10 preferably formed of an insulating or a non-conductive material which is open on one end and closed at the opposite end by a wall 11 having formed therein a center opening 12 through which a plug 13, as fragmentarily shown in FIG. 3, may be removably projected.

One inner wall surface 14 of the housing 10 is provided with a recess slot 15 which terminates at wall 11 where it joins a ring groove 16 formed circumferentially about the opening 12. The ground terminal 17 has an elongated substantially flat body portion 18 positioned in the slot 15 as well as a ring inner end member 19 seated in the ring groove 16. A connecting bushing 20 provides an insert collar 21 which is projected into the opening 12 and 3,418,438 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 swaged over the ring member 19 of the ground terminal 17 as seen in FIG. 3.

The opposite side walls 22 and 23 of the housing 10 are provided with aligned slots 24 and 25 respectively. These slots 24 and 25 will receive opposite corresponding edges of a plurality of terminals such that the terminals will extend in spaced parallel relation with respect to each other and in a coaxial plane with respect to the plug-receiving chamber defined by the opening 12 formed in the wall 11.

Terminals 26, 27, 28 and 29 are of a uniform construction such as is shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5 terminal 27 is shown to be constructed from a substantially flat piece of conductive material and is generally U-shaped thus providing spaced-apart leg portions 30 and 31 joined together by a bight portion 32. Extending laterally from the bight portion 32 is an electrical conductor connecting socket 33. The free ends of the legs 30 and 31 are each provided with inwardly directed opposing flanges 34 and 35 as well as hook-shaped members 36 and 37.

In construction of the jack plug connector of this invention, a terminal such as 27 is projected into the housing 10 such that the outer edge portions of the legs 30 and 31 will be received in a pair of aligned slots 24 and 25 and moved therethroug'h until the flange members 34 and 35 engage the inner face of the wall 11 at which time the hook-shaped members 36 and 37 are projected into receiving pockets 38 formed in the wall 11 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be noted that the legs 30 and 31 of the terminal 27 have a tendency to be tensioned toward each other as they are inserted and passed through their respective slots 24 and 25 until the flanges 34 and 35 engage the inner face of the wall 11 at which time their hook-shaped members 36 and 37 will snap outwardly away from each other into the receiving pockets 38.

The remaining terminals 39 and 40 are similar to the heretofore described terminal 27 in that they include leg members 41 and 42 connected together by a bight portion 43 with the free ends of the legs providing flange members 44 and 45 as well as hook-shaped members 46 and 47 (see 'FIG. 2).

The terminal 40, however, structurally differs from terminal 27 in that a center medial member 48 extends from the bight portion 43 and is so formed so as to have its free end portion bent substantially back in a reverse direction to provide a spring contact finger 49. Adjacent the free end of the spring contact finger 49, it is bent to provide a convex extrusion 50 and a laterally extending tip 51.

The terminal 39 is of a construction like that of terminal 40 except that its spring contact finger 52 is formed by a more concentrically formed bend 53 so as to provide a contact tip 54 which extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal plane of the terminal 30 as seen in FIG. 7.

When the plug 13 is projected into the opening 12 formed in the wall 11 of the housing 10, the tip 55 thereof, as well as the circumferentially extending groove 56 formed thereon, will engage the convex extrusion 50 which will seat therein, with the spring finger 49 depressed sufliciently that the tip 51 thereof is moved out of contact with the terminal 28 and into contact with the terminal 29.

As seen in FIG. 3 the spring contact finger 52 of the terminal 39 will engage a prescribed ring portion 57 on the plug 13 so that its tip 54 is moved out of contact with the terminal 27 and into contact with the terminal 26.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been described a jack plug connector which is capable of establishing a plurality of desired circuits as well as disrupting a plurality of circuits which accomplishments has heretofore been limited to a very prescribed number of circuitries. The assembly is not only economical but simple and highly etficient in use.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A jack plug connector comprising:

(a) a hollow housing of insulating material open at one end and with the opposite end providing a center opening through which a plug is removably projected;

(b) a terminal strip extending longitudinally into said hollow housing and having a ring portion in axial alignment with the center opening for-med in the opposite end of said housing, with a connecting leg lying in facial abutment with one interior wall surface of said housing and projecting out of said open end thereof;

(c) a plurality of circuit terminals carried by said housing on each side of the center axis of said openings, means formed in opposite side walls of said housing and in communication with the hollow interior thereof for receiving the opposite longitudinal edges of said plurality of circuit terminals for mounting the same in spaced parallel relation to each other and to said opposite side walls of said housing;

(d) certain of said circuit terminals providing means yieldably movable by certain portions of the plug when the same is projected into said housing out of contact with certain of said circuit terminals and into contact with other of said circuit terminals to make and break electrical circuits therethrough.

2. A jack plug connector as defined by claim 1 wherein the means provided by one of said certain of said circuit terminals comprises a spring finger engageable by the tip of said plug when the same is projected into the hollow housing, and wherein another of said certain of said circuit terminals provides a spring arm engaging a portion of the plug for making and breaking electrical connections with said circuit terminals.

3. A jack plug connector as defined by claim 2 wherein the means provided by one of said certain of said circuit terminals comprises a spring finger engageable by the tip of said plug when the same is projected into the hollow housing, and wherein another of said certain of said circuit terminals provides a spring arm engaging a portion of the plug for making and breaking electrical connections with said circuit terminals.

4. A jack plug connector as defined by claim 1 wherein the opposite side walls of said housing are provided with longitudinally extending horizontally aligned slots for receiving the corresponding opposite edge portions of said circuit terminals mounting the same in spaced parallel relation with respect to each other and to said opposite side walls of said housing.

5. A jack plug connector as defined by claim 3 wherein said means in said side walls for mounting said plurality of circuit terminals in spaced parallel relation to each other and to said opposite side walls includes a plurality of elongated horizontally aligned slots having communication with the hollow interior of said housing.

6. A jack plug connector as defined by claim 2 wherein said spring finger formed on one of said certain of said circuit terminals is bent to form a convex portion corresponding to a concave tip portion formed on the plug with said convex portion spaced longitudinally from said spring arm provided by said other of said certain of said circuit terminals so as to be positioned to contact only said concave tip of said plug when said spring arm is in contact with a ring segment provided by said plug so as to make and break electrical circuits between said plurality of circuit terminals.

7. A jack plug connector as defined by claim 3 wherein said spring finger formed on one of said certain of said circuit terminals is bent to form a convex portion corresponding to a concave tip portion formed on the plug with said convex portion spaced longitudinally from said spring arm provided by said other of said certain of said circuit terminals so as to be positioned to contact only said concave tip of said plug when said spring arm is in contact with a ring segment provided by said plug so as to make and break electric circuits between said plurality of circuit terminals.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,230,497 1/1966 Greasley 339l83 X 3,289,149 ll/1966 Pawloski 339182 X 3,383,381 5/1968 Bailey et al 339183 X ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, Primary Examiner.

DAVID SMITH, ]R., Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 339-483 

